reflection

That is the name of the new series we're doing at youth group, but what I am going to reflect on is Ecclesiastes...

My overall thoughts of the book were: oh my goodness I can't believe I have never read that book before. It was amazing. Not that I was expecting it to be lame, but that might be my favorite book of the Bible now. It had some really good stuff in it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in it.


To sum of the book in one verse, I would say it'd have to be Ecc. 2:11:

"Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." --King Solomon--


Vanity: the quality of being valueless or futile (also a common definition of it being false pride, vain, conceited... but the prior is the definition used in Ecc.)

There are 12 chapters in Ecc. and the word Vanity is in the book 33 times. Of the 33 times the word vanity is used, 22 of the times it was used in a context to say "all (or something specifically) is vanity". I think it's safe to say that this was Solomon's main point.

Another saying that appeared less often was "...striving after wind" usually following the statement of "this also is vanity.... and a striving after wind". Boy, if that phrase doesn't put things into perspective, I don't know what would. This phrase is in the book 8 times.

Another phrase used possibly more often than the word vanity, and I say possibly because I did not count this one, is the phrase of, "under the sun". Which Solomon uses to refer to absolutely everything in and of this world.

Here are some of the verses I was specially fond of...

"Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness." -2:13

"He has made everything beautiful in its time" -3:11

"I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live..." -3:12

"It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay." -5:5

"For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun? -6:12

"In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evil doing." -7:15

"And I commend joy, for man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun." -8:15

"So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity." -11:8

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them'". -12:1

"Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bbring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." -12:13-14